I finished binding the Blue Urban Cabin. No sewing on the Birds in Air blocks this week.

The weather has been very hot. High 90's--parts of the state were 109F and 110F. I stay inside where its cool during the day. Late evenings are nice and I've been busy watering the grass and flowers at the camper. The little yellow warblers wait for the water spray to hit the lilacs--where they flutter and bathe in the safety of the bushes. Lots of finches must have fledged--last night I watched FIVE on the finch sock feeder while 2 more sat on top the crook. Some of them haven't had a lot of flying experience--missed landings and a few crashes. One sat on the edge of a feeder--looked at the seed and pecked at the plexiglass. Thelma was skulking across the road to check underneath the feeder for grain--no baby turkeys yet.

Opening procedure at the Visitor Center is a pretty normal routine. Turn on lights, unlock the doors, check the cash register, look for bats. Wait--you don't look for bats first thing in the morning??

Well, at the Visitor Center we do! Yesterday Karla spied one and we were arguing about who would catch it. Steven (a new summer ranger) was listening and then realized we weren't arguing about who would HAVE to catch it--but who would GET to catch it!! Yes--Karla and I both love the bat catching job--and since she has LOTS more seniority (and is my Boss) she was Chief Bat Catcher. Steven and I took photos.

First--you find the bat!

Way up high in the corner. Karla has good eyes and never misses finding a bat.

Next you assemble bat net. The ceilings are very high--almost 3 stories where the bat is hanging.

Karla very carefully slides the net around the bat until he is dislodged and clings to the netting.

Voila! Bat hanging in net!

All bats are a protected species here. This is a small brown bat--they eats lots of insects. Bats are carefully scooped up and then taken outside and hung on a tree. If visitors are in the Visitor Center they often ask questions and children especially are fascinated by bats. Notice Karla wearing leather gloves--bats have tiny teeth and will bite (hey--if a giant grabbed ME I'd bite too) but mostly they are docile. Karla encourages questions and if someone wants to touch the bat she will stretch a wing out carefully so they can feel how soft they are.

This bat immediately climbed high in the tree when he was released.

Although "bat catcher" is not on anyone's job description--Karla says its one of those "as needed" duties!

I'm drawn to old quilts. This one was made by my Great Aunt Katie. From the fabrics Henrietta and I think the quilt was made in the 40's--maybe early 50's. I never knew Aunt Katie, she exists for me in family stories and this quilt.

This quilt has been well-loved. I remember sleeping under it as a child. A Seminole strippy with a small floral print on a yellow background, and a solid fabric on the back I'd call "Muskmelon". A plain green square runs down each strip. Reproducing this quilt is on my bucket list.

Weekly goals--

Sew more Birds in Air blocks together

Sew more rows of the Trip Around the World

Load a top on the Princess

My list is optimistic, I'm not sure with volunteering and summer I'll get much sewing done.

Last night I made some blocks using purple. Two 36 patch blocks, 4 Spool blocks, and several 4 patches.

36 Patch blocks, Spool Blocks, 4 Patches

I counted and have 23 36 patches, 35 Spools, and a large pile of 4 patches. By the end of the year I should have enough to make a quilt of each. I'm really enjoying this challenge! Although each month is one color--I will have many colors in each quilt. Scrappy! Thank you SoScrappy for hosting this challenge.

I've also sewn a 36 patch block and several 4 patches I found in my sewing box. I even did some hand applique on a Beyond the Cherry Trees block.

Toni next door helped me take pictures of the Brown Urban Cabin quilt---

See Toni? Drat--I cut her head off! Pictures of Toni later this summer. She's holding the Brown Urban Cabin sideways and there was a strong breeze.

I'm finishing up some laundry and defrosting my fridge here at the camper. Then I'll head home. I would like to load a quilt on the Princess (are you reading this Henrietta??) and I'm anxious to dig in my stash for some purple--that is the color this month for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge. 36 patches, Spools, and 4 patches are the blocks I'm making for this challenge. The 30's solid yellow I bought last week is to make a Strippy 4 patch using the 4 patches. I have a vintage quilt made by my Great Aunt Katie in this pattern.

You've probably noticed I almost never make a one color or one fabric quilt. I have--I just don't enjoy it! Almost all my UFO's are projects using one color or a controlled color scheme. I admire quilts done with one and controlled colors--I think they are beautiful and then I try to make one. Its a learning process--and I must be a slow learner!!

No design wall at the camper--I took my blocks outside and used the Brown Urban Cabin quilt to start laying them out.

I was able to lay 36 out before the breeze picked up. I just rolled the quilt up and will lay it out on my bed and add some more. The pattern I'm using has birds appliqued on it--

I'm not sure if my birds will be brown (the book has them fussy cut with a nice brown floral print or maybe some bluebirds. There's plenty of time to think about it.

Weekly goals--

Sew birds in air blocks together

If I get tired of sewing blocks together I have some hand applique along. The evenings have been so nice I've been sitting outside in my lawn chair reading a book. I scared poor Thelma tonight--she was right outsidemy window when I opened the blind. (Turkeys run fast!) Later when I stepped out a doe was grazing about 30 feet from me--I saw her before she saw me--so I "froze" and she could smell me, and knew the door had opened--but if you don't move they don't see you as a threat. (makes me think of lions creeping up on zebras!) She was a bit nervous but then continued to graze and finally drifted off through the trees. No fawns yet--they are either hidden or not born. Last year we had 3 that regularly walked through the campsites.

Steady visitor traffic where I am--all sorts of questions, people needing directions and maps--and the #1 question--"do you have a bathroom??" Today I met a man who emigrated from Slovakia in 1951. What did he find strange when he emigrated? That people did not play musical instruments! In Slovakia everyone learned to play some sort of instrument--and many social gatherings involved playing music together. He called them "musical soirees".

I wish I'd had more time to talk to him--I didn't have a chance to ask him questions about life after he emigrated--but I did learn he played the harmonica and spoke 3 languages.

Henrietta has changed my header again--thanks Henrietta!! The peonies are done and I have huge bushes of perennial sweet peas blooming. Not a picture of mine--but they do look just like that! The perennial ones (Lathyrus latifolius) haven't any fragrance--but they make up for it in growing into huge climbing bushes/vines (I use a trellis) and bloom their hearts out!

In Year to Date--122.5 yards
Used This Week--14.5 yards
Used Year to Date--94.25 yards

Stash is ahead--28 yards!

I finished the Brown Urban Cabin--that used 12.5 yards. (picture in a later post) 1.5 yards for a gift and pair of hot pads for .5 yard--that's another 2 yards. I bought 3 yards of a dark brown to finish my Plaid 4 patch, and 7.5 yards of a solid 30's type yellow. I found the brown in a sale bin for $1.69 yd and used a coupon for the yellow--that brought its cost down to $1.47 yd. Wheee!!!

Saturday the weather was perfect and I sat outside in a lawn chair to hand sew the binding. Its very quiet and secluded where I camp---just me and the wildlife yesterday.

Thelma--the turkey hen who has a nest somewhere near me stops by every morning and evening--she cleans up the spilled bird food underneath the feeder. She is VERY shy and I haven't been able to get a picture of her. But this morning I was able to photograph Doris--she was dusting in the flower bed in back of the Visitor Center. Two way glass in the windows--she can't really "see" us so I was able to snap a picture through the glass.

There's not much for flowers in this flower bed! We've given up--between the birds at the feeder, the squirrels, rabbits, gophers, turkeys, deer and a groundhog or two--its more of a parking lot than a flower bed.

Make binding for Brown Urban Cabin--yes--its sewn on and just the handwork left

Sew more TATW together--nope

Henrietta and I spent Wednesday shopping. The day was rainy and cloudy and a bit chilly--and we welcomed the rain.

But seriously--I'm having some problems with Henrietta. That girl is feeling guilty when she uses my stash. She's been building her own stash! What kind of friend is she??!!! She says she's made a dent in my stash--but honestly--it must be a very tiny dent!

I played with yellows for the last time for the Rainbow Scrap challenge--June will bring a new color. My fabric choices have been very random and I'm looking forward to seeing all the blocks at the end of the year. I'm glad I chose this challenge and picked 3 different blocks to make with noodles. Its a relaxing challenge.

I volunteer Sat-Sun-Tu-Wed. Laura Beth, Nick, and boys may come to visit next weekend. Ken and I miss them terribly. If I could I would hop in my car and visit every few days! We're hoping Mason will be able to spend a few days or maybe a week with us this summer. Ken remembers when he stayed with his grandparents every summer--and wants the same thing for Mason and Asher.

I read through my monthly goals to refresh my memory. I refolded and put away all the fabrics I'd had out while working on the TATW quilt. That took me a whole evening! I have a UFO pulled out to sew on---the Birds in Air blocks I took to the camper--I can use the bed as a design wall. I also did a bit of work on the Beyond the Cherry Tree quilt--the applique project.

And I weeded a bit of the flower bed and tied up some annual sweet peas. The Morning Glorys and Moonflowers are taking off, and my Jackmani and Nelly Moser clematis are blooming. The Liatris Latifolius are huge and covered with clumps of flowers and buds. These are perennial sweet peas--no smell--just prolific reliable bushes. There is a row of Dahlia's that will need stakes and maybe a bit of a fence--Ruby doesn't understand there are flowers in the spot she usually walks. Henrietta and I noticed my Wisteria is blooming--I pruned them a lot last year--they really deserve a better place to grow--there's not enough room where they are.

I'm not sewing as much--its summer--and it doesn't last forever! I hope you're enjoying your summer. Have you done anything extra fun?